Former New York Yankees legend CC Sabathia doesn't hesitate to name the MLB rule he wish didn't exist during his Hall of Fame career.
Hall of Famer CC Sabathia Reveals 1 MLB Rule Every Player Hated originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
New York Yankees legend CC Sabathia will be immortalized in baseball history as a first-ballot Hall of Famer on Sunday, July 27.
The left-handed pitcher, who helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series, also played for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers during his 19-year MLB career. Cheering him on at the ceremony in Cooperstown, which airs live on MLB. com at 1:30 pm ET, Sabathia's wife, Amber, and their four children, including prospect Carsten Sabathia.
While the American League Cy Young Award winner retired in 2019, Sabathia remains closely linked to the professional world of baseball. He's a special assistant to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, working as a liaison between players and the league.
Speaking to Sabathia, a brand ambassador for Mastercard, a title sponsor of the All-Star game, the 45-year-old reflected on changes in the league and culture since he played.
In addition to the All-Star game itself, which ended in a historic Home Run Swing-Off this year, Mastercard sponsored the Stand Up to Cancer tribute, invited the local winner of their small-business competition to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and hosted the first Kids4Tech event in Atlanta.
Sabathia loves being a part of these priceless moments. However, when I asked Sabathia if he missed having the winner of the All-Star game determine which team has home field advantage in the World Series, he didn't hold back.
"No. Absolutely, not," the six-time All-Star answered. "I don’t think any player ever really wanted that to be a thing."
"After the tie in Milwaukee, I think the commissioner’s office was not really happy about that and kinda put that rule in. But I don’t think any player ever wanted that to be a thing where the All-Star game determines home field advantage.
"You play 162 games, you play a long playoff schedule. The best team should have home field advantage," Sabathia concluded.
As stated by MLB.com, "From 2003-16, World Series home-field advantage was given to the team from the league that won that year’s All-Star Game, a rule that was installed after a 7-7 tie in the 2002 Midsummer Classic.
"And for the previous 98 editions of the World Series, home-field advantage simply alternated between the AL and NL depending on whether it was an odd or an even year."
Related: Yankees Legend CC Sabathia Predicts Winner of 2025 World Series [Exclusive]
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
